Proposed Horse Care Ordinance Community Meeting

Thu, Sep 26th, 2013

The proposed ordinance focuses on changes to Title 10 – Animals and will apply to horse keeping throughout the County. LACounty Dept of Animal Care and Control hopes to have the ordinance go before the Board of Supervisors in November, which is why they want to start planning to meet with equestrian owners.

There are two recommended changes of note to the proposed ordinance change for Title 10 – Animals:

1. Addition of 10.40.010 Y: Horses shall be maintained in accordance with the current Minimum Standards of Horse Care published by the University of California, Davis, Center for Equine Health, School of Veterinary Medicine

2. Addition of 10.40.055 Evacuation Plan Requirements: Any animal facility defined in section 10.08.031 which boards animals, and any commercial horse stable as defined in Los Angeles County Code section 22.212.020, shall post an evacuation plan in a place that is clearly visible to patrons and the general public entering the facility. At a minimum, the plan shall include all of the following information:

A. Name, address and phone number of the relocation facility;

B. Name and phone number of person(s) who will transport the animals to the relocation facility, and a description of the means of transportation of the animals to the relocation facility; and

C. Name and phone number of person(s) who will take care of the animals at the relocation facility.

The remaining changes are minor and either enhance current language or add additional words to support the proposed changes. The definition of “stables” was removed from Title 10 to avoid confusion with proposed Title 22 revisions relating to commercial stables.

The proposed Title 10 changes will affect: 1) horse owners; and 2) animal facility operators. However, the UC Davis horse keeping standards are very broad and give fair latitude to consider variations in each horse’s individual care requirements. They should not be controversial for horse owners. The second change – evacuation plans for facilities that board animals – is a fair addition designed to protect animals placed in the care of others. Facilities that board pets or horses for their owners should be prepared to evacuate the animals in the case of an emergency.